Combined pump and gauge device



Nov. 2'7, 1951 J. H. KREHBREL.

COMBINED PUMP AND GAUGE DEVICE Filed Feb. 27. 1948 Patented Nov. 20, 1951 COIVIBINED PUMP AND GAUGE DEVICE John H. Krehbiel, Hinsdale, IlL, assignor to Molex Products 00. (not incorporated), Chicago, III.,

a copartnership Application February 27, 1948, Serial No. 11,587

3 Claims. (Cl. 73-389) This invention relates to combined pump and gage device more particularly for inflating foot balls, basket balls, and other inflatable articles and by use of which same device the air pressure within the inflatable article created by the device may be gaged Without any necessity of disconnecting the device from the article until the proper air pressure therein has been obtained. Thus, inflating of the article to the proper pressure may be done easily and quickly, with the expenditure of a minimum of effort and time, this being of particular importance where the article such as a game ball must be correctly inflated immediately preceding or during the intervals of a game of port.

Among other objects, the present invention aims to provide a simple and efiicient device of this character which is of light weight and may be easily carried by a player or coach, ready at all times for immediate use both as a pump and a gage.

An important object also of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which may be manufactured in quantities at a minimum cost and the parts of which may be rapidly and inexpensively assembled as an integral merchandisable unit.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent, and the invention will be understood, by reference to the following description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, and in which drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevational view of a device following the present invention, parts being broken away and other parts being shown in section, for clearness of description;

Figure 2 is a partial axial sectional view of.

parts shown in Fig. 1, parts being omitted or broken away to conserve space in the drawing;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary axial view of the distal or valve end of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and being a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Figure 4 is partial cross-section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 3; and

Figure 5 is a similar partial cross-section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 looking in the opposite direction.

Referring in detail to the illustrative construction showing in the drawings, the numeral H indicates a pump cylinder which may be of the usual metal construction and which receives the piston, indicated in general by the numeral l2,

u when pressure inwardly on the piston rod hansecured to the inner end of the piston rod l3. As here shown, the piston proper may comprise a piston boot of leather or other suitable material having a circular transverse part l4 and an integral axially extending skirt portion [5 that makes a close sliding fit with the inner wall of the cylinder H. The circular transverse part M of the piston boot may be clamped, as here indicated, between a metal washer I6 on one of its faces and a metal cup I! on its opposite face which is received within the boot skirt I5 to stabilize the latter in its movements to and fro in the cylinder, the inner end of the piston rod being riveted over the cup I! as at 8 to clamp the piston parts together, within the cup.

The proximal end of the cylinder, through which the piston rod [3 projects, may be closed as here shown by a gland cap l9 having an apertured boss 20 centrally thereof for the passage of the piston rod l3 slidingly therethrough, and an annular flange part 21 having interrupted threads 22 upon its inner face to interengage by a screw action with similar interrupted threads '23 on the outer face of the cylinder. At its distal end, the cylinder ll may carry a closure block 24 centrally perforated as at 25 to receive the pump nipple 26. The nipple 26 may be screwthreaded on its outer end 2"! in a conventional manner, e. g., to receive thereon an air hose or the like, and may be knurled adjacent its inner end as at 28 for a force-fit therebetween and the walls of the passageway 25 in the closure block 24. Formed integrally with the inner end of the nipple, as here shown, is a ball valve spider '29, which, as best seen in Figure 4, may include circumferentially alternating lands 30 and slots 3| so that when the ball valve 32 is in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 the ball is resting against the lands 33 and air may pass freely and rapidly by the ball from the cylinder and out through the nipple 26 as indicated by the arrows 3m. Thus when the piston is forced inwardly by inward pressure on the piston rod handle l3a, air under pressure may pass from the device to the article to be inflated.

,In accordance with the present invention, the annular seat 33 for the ball 32 at the opposite side of the ball from the spider 29 and which would normally close the passageway 25 to the ingress of air into the cylinder from the article being inflated, is here provided with a bleed duct 34 (Figs. 3 and 5) by which air may pass back into the cylinder from the article being inflated die is released, the air passing relatively slowly.

Still further in accordance with the present invention the piston rod [3 adjacent its inner end carries a series of gage marks or pressure gage scale 35 comprising, as here shown, the numerals 2, 4, 6, etc., for reading the air pressure within the cylinder, under the influence, for example, of the air pressure within the article inflated At this timeth'e interior of the article "being-inflated is in communication with the cylinder through the nipple 26, a portion of this air under such pressure being permitted to return to the cylinder through the bleed duct 34, thus equalizing the pressure within the article 'be'i-ng inflated and within the cylinder and (pressure inwardly en the handle l3a being released) forcing the piston l2 outwardly of the cylinder to a point which may be read on the scale 35.

For purposes of calibrating the scale 3 5 to a given series of different air pressures within the cylinder, the helical coil :spring .316 is desirably interposed within the cylinder :adjacent the proximal end thereof, in abutment :at one end with the gland cap 19 and adapted at its other end to .be contacted by the piston washer It when the piston isretracted outwardly :of the cylinder :by air pressure within the cylinder created air flowing therein-t through the bleed duct .34 :past the ball valve :32 as already described. Further out- "ward movement of the piston rod through the apertured :boss 20, as shown'in Rig. .2, is opposed and partially inhibited .byfthe compression coil fspring ilfi which is desirably or" a suitable ache-ractor and strength to correlate-the distances between the indicator .lines 3] :of the scale L35 "the respective increments of pressure within the cylinder readable in pounds per square inch, .fcr example, as indicated the numerals en the scale. The lines 31 may of course be read "in :conjunction with the cuter end 38 of the 'apertured boss 2-0 of the 'glandcap t9.

In preferred use, when a reading is to be taken, the handle is first pushed down to the 'ibottcm :of the stroke and then released, letting the piston Tod'rise by itself under the influence of the back pressure. "This may be done at intervals the ball inflating operation, "thus i-nsuring correct pressure "in the inflatable article and preventing exploding of balls. Similarly, vehicle tires, for example, bicycle tires may be similarly inflated and gaged.

'The invention is not limited to details of construction here shown for illustrative purposes and it is intended to be understood that such changes may be made as fall within the scdpe of the appended claims while still employing the new and useful characteristics of the invention.

The invention having been described, what "is here claimed is:

1. In a combined pump and gage :device, the combination of apump cylinder, a piston therein having a'pi'ston rod connected thereto and profiecting exteriorly of the cylinder, a handle =cn "the outer end -of the piston rod, a 'valve structure communicating with said cylinder, said valve structure including a ball valve and a pair of axially spaced apart seats between wh'riehiisaid ball aplays, one of said seats compris'ing a valve spider permitting read-y passage of air past the ball and the other of said seats comprising an annular seating surface with a relatively small bleed duct therein permitting restricted passage of air by the ball when the ball is in engagement with the last-mentioned seat, a compression spring within the cylinder between the piston and the cylinder end opposite said valve structure, and a pressure gage scale on said piston rod adjacent the inner end of the rod and adapted to register With the adjacent end of the cylinder on the return pressure of air bleeded past said ball back into the cylinder when pressure inwardly on the piston rod handle is released.

2a In a combined pump and gage device, the

combination of a pump cylinder, a piston therein having a piston rod connected thereto and projecting exteriorly of the cylinder at one end thereof, a valve structure carried by and communieating with said cylinder at the other end thereof, said valve structure including a ball and a pair of axially spaced apart seats between whichsaid iball plays, one :of said seats permitting passage :of air past the :ball and the other of said seats comprising an annular seating surface with a relatively small bleed duct therein irpiermitting restricted passage of air by the ball when the ball is .in engagement with the last-mentioned seat, a compression spring within the cylinder between the piston and the cylinder end at the opposite end from said valve structure, :and :a pressure ,ga-ge scale on said piston rod adapted to register with the adjacent end of the cylinder on the return pressure of air bleedezd past said ball back into thecyli-nder when pressure inward- 1y on the piston rod handle is released, to indi 'cate the pressure between the ball and the piston.

3. In a combined pump and gage device, a pump cylinder, a piston therein, said piston having :a piston rod connected thereto and projecting exteriorly of the cylinder at one end thereof, a nipple communicating with said cylinder andecarried at the other end thereof check valve means between :said nipple and said cylinder, said check valve means having a relatively small bleed duct permitting passage of air past the check valve, a

compression spring within the cylinder between the piston and the cylinder end at the opposite end from said valve, and a pressure gage :scale on said piston rod adapted to register with the adjacent end of the cylinder on the return ,pressure of air bleededpastsaid check valveback into the cylinder when pressure inwardly .on the ,piston rod is released, said spring and scale being calibrated to correlate the distances between the lines .onsa'id scale with respective pressures within the cylinder readable in pounds .per square inch.

JOHN KREHBIEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record the file of this patent:

nurrnn is'rna'ns .na'rnnas Germany Apr. 25,. 1931 Certificate of Correction Patent N 0. 2,576,687 November 27, 1951 JOHN H. KREHBIEL It is hereby oertified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Page one of the printed specification, upper left hand corner, for Patented Nov. 20, 1951 read Patented N 0 0. 2?, 1.951;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of February, A. D. 1952.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assia tam! Commissioner of Patents. 

